Improvement in air-compressing apparatus



`2 Sheets--Sheet T.

I. ERICSSON.

Airfumpressring` Apparaflls.- blo-146,055

Patented De. 30,1373.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

ratus.

Patented Dec. 30,1873.

JoHN EnrcSSoN, on Nnwronn, N. Y., ASSIGNOR To ooRNELIUs n. DELA:

PATENT Orrrcn MATER AND GEORGE H. ROBINSON OF SAME PLACE;

IMPRVEMENT IN AIR`COMPRESSING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 1116,05 5, dated December 1373; application filed September 12, 1873. i

To all 'whom it may concern: h Be it knownthat I, JOHN ERICSSON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have inments of parts in apparatus mainly designed for the compression of air by steam or other motive power, whereby numerous advantages are obtained, including a very effective cooling of the cylinder and piston of each singleacting air-compressing pump in a series of pumps; also cooling the au" 1n these `pumps without saturating it by Spray. The cooling is effected by washing the interior ofthe pump- -cylinders with cooling water introduced above the pistons, and either discharged over the tops of the cylinders or through upper overiowopenings in their sides, or the water rst introduced into a water-pedestal, within which the pump-cylinders are immersed, and, after cooling the exterior-tv -of the cylinders, allowed to overiow into the cylinders on top of the pistons, and ultimately to escape from the cylinnders in any convenient way.'` Another advantage is in the application of the power ofthe engine to the air-compressing pumps by a novel arrangement of air-compressing cylinders in parallel axial relation-with each other; `the engine-cylinder; a beam `for operating thepistons of. said cylinders; and a certain oblique connection of such beam relatively with the engine-Shaft or connection from the engine-piston and pump and engine-cranks, coincident with each other, whereby and consequent on the different angles simultaneously assumed by the cranks to the-irrespective connections the power of the engine is 4more advantageously applied to meet the varying resistance encountered. `Still another advantageous feature of the invention is in the application of an automatic governor, operated by the pressure in the compressed air-receiver, to regulate the speed of the engine to the draft made upon said receiver. l p

' 'Itshould be particularly noticed that the ily-wheel of the steam-engineis at the same time a band-wheel, admitting of operating the air-pumps by water-power. lhus, during the dry season, `when water-power fails, the steam` engine will be applied, while atthe other seasons the main connecting-redet' the steam-1 engine will-be detached, and the water-power g employed-by means of ordinary gearing and a band appliedlto `the ily-wheel of the engine.`

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a vertical `longitudinal section of the apparatus taken centrallythrough fthe pump-cylinders.l

Fig. 2 is a'planof the same; Fig. 3, a vertical` transverse section through one `ot` `the pump-` g cylinders; and FigA is a diagram" in illustral engine, having a water-pedestal, B, and servi ing to rotate by a connectmg-rod, C, and crank.;

D, a :main shaft, E, arranged overhead. 'This shaft is constructed to form a double orlpsec-` ond crank, G, by which motion is communi-` cated to the pumpsg These cranksD and Grl are coincident as regards `,set orpitCh, one` with the other." The water-pedestal B ismade of a suitabledepth to receive downwithin it on opposite sides, asit were, of the uShaft E,`

cylinders H H of two single-acting air-cont;

pressing pumps, `said cylinders, which have y l their longitudinal axes parallel with each other, h and are vertical, resting on `and being bolted@ to the top plate b of the water-pedestal, through] or by means of `flanges c `on the upper open ends of the cylinders, the air beingcompressed h alternately below the pistons I ot' said pumpcylinders. In this way the cylinders IH, that have only a valvular opening at their bottom`s,"V serve, in conjunction *with the` top` plate bof the water-pedestal, to close, or `approxiniately close, the upper surface of said pedestal, which, however, `should beA provided with one or more air-inlets, d, to establish an atmospheric `"equi-'f` librium on the water inthepedestal to'providei for its free escapeby an upper overlow, e. Moreover, the cylinders-H," by this Aarrangement, are wholly immersed, or nearly so,` in the body of water within the pedestal or tank: B, in distinction to merely being.surrounded` .by a water-jacket each and by acirculationl which is kept up in the tank, as hereinafter described, the bottoms and outsides of the cylinders H are very thoroughly cooled. But the main cooling of said cylinders and their pistons I is eifected by the continuous, or preferably continuous, washing of the interior ofthe cylinders by the introduction of cold water, as by a pipe, J, provided with outlets or nozzles f onto the tops of the pistons, both during their up and down strokes, thereby leaving or forming a thin film of water on the insides of the cylinders, and supply of cold water on the tops of the pistons, such water as it accumulates being allowed to loverflow the tops of the cylinders, or through a number of overflow-apertures, g, at the close of the upper stroke of each piston into the tank or water-pedestal B, from whence surplus water passes off by the outlet e. The water thus introduced into the tank B from the` cylinders H also serves to keep up a circulation of the water in the tank about the cylinders, while the constant or frequent introduction of fresh cold water into the interior of the cylinders on top of the pistons most effectually cools the latter and the cylininders, thus adding to the working efficiency of the pumps, as regards their packings and valves, and cooling the whole volume of air in tlie cylinders without obj ectionably saturatin g the same.

If desired, the water may first be introduced into the pedestal B, and, after cooling1 the exterior of the pump-cylinders, be allowed to overflow into the cylinders on top of the pistons, and ultimately to escape in any convenient way.

The pistons I are each fitted with upper and lower cup-packing, h h, and the arrangement,

as described, is such that the upper one of these duplicate packings to each piston isrelieved of all pressure dependent upon compression of the air, and is only required to prevent leakage of water past the pistons. Other kinds of packing, such as hard rubber, may be employed.

Air to be compressed is introduced through the pistons I by inlet-valves t', and discharged, as compressed by each piston alternately in its down stroke, through delivery-valves 7c, into a compressed air-receiver or passage, L, from whence it passes off, to be utilized, by an outlet, Z. This compressed air-receiver or passage is provided with an automatic governor, S, which is controlled by the pressure of the air in the receiver, to regulate the speed of the engine to the draft made upon said receiver, so that when the drain on the compressed air in the receiver temporarily ceases or slackens, instead of the engine continuing to run at its regular speed and waste steam by freely pumping as before, into the receiver, and providing for the escape of such additional supply through the safety-valve of vthe receiver, the steam is more or less throttled or cut off from the engine by the governor S, and its supply to the engine re-established or increased as the drain on the receiver L is re stored or augmented. This compressed airgovernor S is represented as composed of a piston, m, arranged within an open-ended cylinder, a, which is connected with the receiver L, said piston being attached to a crank, O, the shaft of which carries a weighted lever, p., that has a rod, q, attached to it' for operating the throttle-valve of the engine, the weight on the lever p preferably being adjustable, and serving as a counterpoise to the pressure of the compressed air in the receiver on the inner face of the piston m, whereby the governor S operates to automatically control the speed of the engine, as described. Itis desirable, to produce a more efficient action of said governor, that the lever p should be arranged to form an acute angle with the crank O, and so that as air accumulates in the receiver the increased pressure in forcing out the piston will find an increasing resistance till the weight of the lever passes a horizontal position, and the crank O will have a diminishing efficiency during such action by reason of changevin its anof the beam, above the joint by which the` rod N of the one pump is connected with the beam.

The engine-shaft E, it will be observed, has a central overhead position between the pumps, so that the rod Q occupies an oblique position across the center of the shaft when the pump-piston connected with the same end of the beam is at its top stroke, and always maintains avarying oblique position with the connection between said shaft and the piston ofthe en gine. This arrangement, in connection with the cranks D and G, being coincident, is important, as by it the power of the engine is more advantageously applied to meet the varying resistance encountered by reason of the angular efficiency of the engine-crank increasing as the angular efficiency of the pumpcrank diminishesH-that is, relatively to their respective connections or rodsthus giving an increased power to thepmnp-pistons as they approach the ends, of their compressing strokes, and proportioning, in a measure at least, the velocity of said pistons to the varying resistance they encounter. This is a consequence of the hereinbefore described arrangement of the pump-cylinders, the beam, the engine-shaft, the engine and pump cranks, and their connections, the diagram in Fig. 4 being illustrative of such action.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the water-pedestal steam-supply to the engine. and whereby the motion of the engine is regulated by the draft made upon the air as compressed by the pump or pumps, essentially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as herein described, of the air-compressng cylinders H H and their singleacting pistons I I, the engine-piston A, the beam M, the cranks D G, the engine-shaft E, and the connection Q, whereby the power of the engine .throughout its stroke is approximately equalized to meet the varying resistance encountered by the pistons of the pumps, as specified.

J. EnrossoN.

Witnesses GnAs. R. DURHAM, S. W. TAYLOR. 

